Metal car-door.



PATBNTD AUG. s, 1905.

J. M. HOPKINS.

METAL GAR Doo.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 17, 1904.

own, D. c:y

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

y No. 796,652.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed December 17, 1904. Serial No. 237,337.

To all whom, it may concern.:

Be it known that I, J AMES M. HOPKINS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal Car-Doors, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to a box-car door made of sheet metal, its object being to provide a simple and rigid car-door and also to reduce the thickness of the door and width of the car.

In the construction of box-cars it is regarded as of extreme importance to obtain the maximum of capacity. The width of the carin its outside measurement, or over all, is rigidlyy limited by track conditions. In endeavoring to increase the capacity the inside measurement is increased to the utmost, being limited only by the restrictions as to outside measurement and the necessary thickness of the walls of the car and their appurtenances. The widest portion of a box-car is in line with its door, and it becomes necessary, therefore, to reduce the thickness of the door and the size of the trimmings as much as practicable consistent with strength and proper protection.

the rearward liange of the door is turned inwardly and serves as a weather-protecting strip.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a box-car, showing the improved door. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are'edge views of the door, showing various modifications.'

The side of the car is designated 10. The door 11 is shown as made of a single plate of sheet metal, which will be of any suitable thickness and may in most instances be not more than one-eighth of an inch in thickness. The margins of the plate are flanged, the iange preferably being of about one-half inc-h in width.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, all of the edges 12, 13, 14, and 15, the first two being the sides and the last two the top and bottom of the door, are turned or flanged outwardly. In the construction shown in Fig. 4 the rearward edge of the door is fianged backwardly, as shown at 16, and in the construction shown in Fig. 5 this flange, as shown at 17, is represented as somewhat longer than shown at 16 and is turned backwardly and forwardly. In the former case the iange 16 cooperates with a weather stri p or cleat 18, secured to the side 1() of the car along the rearward side of the door-opening, and in the latter case the hookshaped flange 17 cooperates with an L-shaped weather-plate, (shown at 19,) which projects outwardly from the door-frame or car-body 10 and backwardly, so that the door-fiange and this weather-plate interfold when the door is closed.

The door is further strengthened by means of corner-brackets 20,.set within the angles of its flanges and riveted thereto and to the body of the door. The usual wedge-blocks 25, which cooperate with theguide-brackets 26 for forcing the door snugly against the side wall `of a car when closed, are shown as attached to the body of the door adjacent to its v,bottom flange 15. The hangers for carrying the door (shown at 21 22) are riveted to the body of the door, and each is provided with a shoulder 23, which abuts against the top flange 14, whereby the weight of the door is borne largely by the flange, and the rivets, by means of which the hanger-bracket is attached, are relieved in great measure of the shearing strain that would otherwise come upon them.

The door is shown as suspended from a Z- shaped track 24, the pendent fiange of which 'overlaps the top flange 14, the latter projecting forwardly against or substantially to its rear face,thereby forming an effectual protection against the weather without the necessity of' added weather-strips, as air-currents will be naturally deflected outwardly by the contour of the door itself.

When the door is closed, the front flange 12 will lie fiat against the door-stop strip 27,

forming therewith a close joint. Anyform of hasp or other locking device may be applied as desired.

1 claim as my invention- 1. A box-car door formed of sheet metal and having its edges flanged, the front and top and bottom flanges being turned outwardly and the rear ange being turned inwardly.

2. A boX-car door formed of sheet metal and having' its edges flanged, the front and top and bottom lianges being turned outwardly and the rear flange being turned inwardly and bent forwardly.

3. A box-car door formed o1u sheet metal having its top edge anged outwardly; hangerbrackets secured to the body of the door and abutting against the top flange thereof.

4. In combination, a sheet-metal door havfor Carrying the door and having a pendent l ange overhanging the top edge of the door.

5. In combination, a sheet-metal door having its top, bottonn and front edges flanged outwardly; and rigid supporting hangers adapted to run on a track.

6. Incornbination, a sheet-metal door having its top, bottoni and front edges anged outwardly; rigid hangers for supporting the door and the track upon which the hangers are'adapted to run, the door being so mount- `ed that it travels in the plane which it occupies when closed.

JAMES M. HOPKINS.

Vitnesses:

W. W. DARRow, M. C. BRACEWELL. 

